The invention relates to a direct bond electric circuit assembly, and more particularly to an improved assembly structure and manufacturing method in combination.
Electric circuit assemblies in the field of the present invention typically include an electrically insulating thermally conductive non-metallic refractory substrate, e.g. ceramic, having electrically conductive metallic lead frames, e.g. copper, mounted on top of the substrate, and electrical components, e.g. semiconductor chips, mounted on the lead frames. The structure is covered by an insulating housing which in turn is mounted to a heat sink such that the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate is in intimate contact with the heat sink. Examples of such circuit assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,958,075, 4,156,148, 4,196,411, 4,215,235, 4,218,724, 4,250,481, 4,266,140, 4,394,530, 4,449,165, 4,449,292, 4,488,202, 4,498,120, 4,546,410, 4,546,411, 4,554,613, 4,574,162, 4,577,387, 4,630,174, 4,700,273, 4,713,723, 4,724,514.
The copper lead frames are mounted to the ceramic in various manners, for example by a solder reflow operation, or by a direct bond operation, both of which processes are known in the art.
Direct bonding of the copper to the ceramic involves placing the lead frame in contact with the ceramic, heating the lead frame and the ceramic substrate to a temperature below the melting point of the lead frame to form a eutectic with the lead frame which wets the lead frame and the ceramic substrate, and cooling the lead frame and the substrate, with the lead frame bonded to the substrate. The lead frame is pre-oxidized, and the heating is done in an inert atmosphere to form the eutectic, or alternatively the heating is done in a reactive oxygen gas atmosphere to form the eutectic. Direct bond processing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,744,120, 3,766,634, 3,854,892, 3,911,553, 3,993,411, 3,994,430, 4,129,243. Further reference may be had to "Over 50 years of experience with the Direct Bond Copper process", Tegmen Corp., 1201 East Fayette Street, Syracuse, N.Y.
In various circuit assemblies, the lead frame has a pad portion bonded to the substrate, and an extension portion bent upwardly from the pad portion to extend through the housing cover. The upwardly bent extension portion is spaced laterally inwardly of the outer edge of the substrate. A lower shoulder of the cover housing engages the top of the substrate adjacent the edge and clamps the substrate into engagement with the heat sink therebelow, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,218,724 at FIG. 6, 4,394,530 at FIG. 4, 4,449,165 at FIG. 2, 4,546,410 at FIG. 3. In these types of structures, the lead frame extension portion should not be allowed to bond to the substrate because this will prevent bending of the lead frame at a bend line spaced inwardly of the outer edge of the substrate. In prior solder reflow type bonding operations, solder is merely deleted from beneath the lead frame extension over the substrate to thus prevent such bond. In direct bonding operations, however, the entire copper lead frame is subject to formation of the eutectic upon heating, and hence the entire portion of the lead frame in contact with the ceramic substrate will bond thereto. When attempting to bend the lead frame upwardly at a bend line spaced laterally inwardly of the outer edge of the substrate, it has been found that the substrate usually breaks or shatters at such bend line due to the bond to the lead frame extension portion thereon.
The present invention addresses and solves the noted problem in a particularly simple and effective manner, and also provides a ground plane in combination. Another solution to the noted problem is the subject of co-pending application Ser. No. 180,541, filed on even date herewith, entitled "DIRECT BOND CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY WITH CRIMPED LEAD FRAME", to which cross reference is made.